Engaging in Conversation
Engaging in
Conversation-
Today is National Book Lovers Day. One of
the crucial elements to being a writer is reading. As author Stephen King
remarked:
“If you don't have time to read, you
don't have the time
(or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
I have taken many online classes of late;
my free time has been spent reading class material. However, I feel it is important
to continue my reading for leisure.
To that end, I just finished reading “Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and
Jazz Chickens” by actor/comedian/writer/activist Eddie Izzard.
An interesting phenomenon occurred while I
read Mr. Izzard’s book: as I read his words, I heard his voice. I have seen
some of his stand-up comedy specials and interviews, and have seen him in a few
major motion pictures. I am familiar with his voice, its tone, inflection, English
accent, and cadence of speech. I heard all of this as I read his book.
In discussing “Believe Me” with a friend,
I shared that I heard Eddie Izzard’s speaking voice as I read his words. My
friend then confided that this same thing had happened with her as well. As she
read his words, she heard his voice.
It was at this point that I began to contemplate
the voice, and the differences between the literal voice and the figurative writer’s
voice.
A writer’s voice is defined as a style of
writing, as well as a written expression of yourself. Your thoughts, feelings,
your point of view, your morals, values, opinions, and the way you see the
world all make up your voice as a writer. Each writer has a different voice, a
different writing style.
While it is true that each writer creates
their unique voice through their writing, it is the reader that hears the writer’s
voice, and listens. The reader creates a voice for the writer, for every
magazine article, social media post, and book that they read. This then becomes
a conversation between the writer and the reader. The writer speaks, the reader
listens.
Every reader will hear each writer
differently. Take “The Whistler” by John Grisham for example. Everyone that
reads the book will hear Grisham’s voice differently.
I am reminded by
a quote by author Nikki Giovanni:
“Writing is a conversation with reading;
a dialogue with thinking.”
The conversation
that takes place between a writer and a reader is one of the magical aspects of
reading. It is at once personal, intimate, private, and sacrosanct.
The next time
you see a person reading a book, whether in a crowded space or in solitude, know
that is not simply reading. They are engaging in conversation.
As a writer, I
take this conversation seriously. I promise to hold our conversations in the
strictest confidence. Thank you for entrusting me with this charge.
I thank you for reading my words, for listening, for hearing
my voice, and for engaging in conversation.
© Esperanza Habla All Rights Reserved
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